Washer



Jan. 8, 1929. 1,697,894

K. K. WRIGHT WASHER Filed Feb. 4, 1928 and i Patented Jan, 8, 1929.

I j hlit7gi i h g;

KIRK K. WnIe-H'r, or item/roan, NEW Yon}:

' wAsrinn;

'Thisfinventionrelates to Washers for bottles, cans and other like artlcles.

"An objectzof the invention is to gene" ally improve and simplify WHShQlS Of this type. I Another object or" the mventlonis to provide'an improved asher of this type, with "Which a single operator may insert and remove the objects or articles to be Washed ithout moving materially from one position; which may be utilized for Washing articles of difierent sizes; with which the articles may be {propelled through the Washer in a simple manner and under the control of the'operator standing between the inlet and outlet openings;' and Which will be relatively s mple and inexpensive.

Various other objects and advantageswill beapparent from the following description and the pointed the ap- Fig. 2 isajsectiona'l plan of the same.

In the illustrated embodiment of the.in- .vention, the Washer may mclude an elongated tank or vat l yvhich may besupported V. abovethe floor suitable posts or legs 1 of the: other end and leave anopen tank v y shifted into theilastend of the tunnel'ad- 2., An enclosure 3 is superimposed over the upper, pen face ofthe tank or vat 1 at 7 one end ,ofthe. same so as to ,exten'd along' the tank or va't toivithin ashort distance portion 4 in which the cans or articles to bewashed may hegiven a preliminary drain or rinse if desired, The 'tanlrl is preferablyi divided 'into separate compartments along the same and beneath the enclOSnre' for purpose WhlCll Wlll appear presently."

The enclosure 3 forms a tunnel from end to end and is. provided With lateral open-- ings 5and V6 atthe same side of; the tunnel These open ngs 5 and 6 are spaced apart a short distanceso as to be accessible to an operator standing beside the enclosure and between said openings. The open ng 5 at theend adjacent open vat section t may v be utilized as" the inlet opening, and the other opening :6 utilized as the outlet open- 'llle bottom ofthe enclosurefi opensinto t ma ta ll but p ovided with;

upon the 'guides 7. The openin 6 are of ajsize to permit the passage therethrough otsuch crates'or frames 8. Each inverted i a Washer con Application filediebruary 4,1928. Serial No; 2511,9135

guides 7 extending from the inlet openingiti into thev tunnel of the enclosure, thence lengthwise along the tunnel, and thence laterally and outwardly through the outlet opening 6. When the articles to be washed are milk bottles, such bottles Will be supported in an inverted-position in crates or-frarnes 8 havlng'op en bottoms, and the crates 8 will be guided through the tunnel 'gs V 5" and frame 8 containing the bottles'to be Washed will be placed-upon the guides 7 atthe'open ing 5 and shifted laterally or the enclosure into the tunnel' The crates, after being; moved along the tunnel, Will be Withdrawn through the opening 6' and then carted away In thecompartments oft-he tank orvat l which are beneath" the enclosure 3,"various suitable devices for efiectingithei Washing will be arranged so as to operateupon the bottles during through the. tunnel ofthe enclosure For example, when the articles or bottles are first pushed through the inlet opening 5 into the tunnel, the inverted bottles Will be subjected to a suitable cleansing spray such their passage as of a caustic solutiomirom nozzles a, and i thereafter that crate with its bottles .Will be shifted along the tunnel to a second 'posi-i 'tion. in which they wvill be 'permitted to drain. When' shifted to afur'ther position along the tunnel,- they Will be'subj'ected to a rinsingspray from'nozzles b to rinseoff the cleansing or caustic solution, and When jacent" the opening 6, the, articles will be 1 given a sterilizing treatment, such as by subjecting them to." the action oflive steam .or" steam' and ater from nozz'les c. "The "clean and sterile articles are then'vvithd'ravvn foruse. y

Thenozzles a, b, and a may be suppl ed through the opening 6 and conveyed away With-the various fluids any suitable or usual manner, such "as through pipesf'a", 1b and 0" controlled by valves A, O conveniently located between the openings 5.

and "6, It ill be observed thatfjsince' the openings 5 6 are only a' short 'distance apart and upon the" same side of; the at 7 seems the opening 5, manipulate the valves A, B, and C, and remove the finishedor washed articles from the opening 6 without beingcompelled to travel materiallv "in either diextends along the front of the tank or vat rection along the enclosure. Various devices may be adopted, if desired, to propel mechanically the.articles'through the tunnel. For example, a pusher 9 maybe arranged over tlie open vat 4 at the inlet end of they tunnel for engagement with the last article or case. 8 inserted. through the inlet opening 5, and" this pusher may be power operated by utilizing a cylinder 10- into' which the outer end-of the pusher extends as a piston. A: pipe v11 supplying a source of compressed fluid to the cylinder 7 to a point between the openings 5' and 6,

and't'here is provided vith a self-venting valve D having amanually operated control anember 12, the pipe '11 then extending to I asQurce oijcompressed fluids By pushing the control element 12 against the enclosure, the valve isopened and com pressed fluid admitted to the cylinder 10 to operate the pusher?) in a manner to propel the'last inserted articleor case 8 onestep f lengthwise alongthe tunnel towards the opening 6, such a propulsion being shown partially completed inbot-h figures of the drawing- The operator pushes the member 12 in a manner to keep the valve of the pipe 11 open until'the propulsion is completed, and-during suchpropulsionthe cases 8 within the tunnel will be propelled one step along by ushing upon one another. When thelpropu sion has been completed, the operator. releases the control element 12 and the pusher 9 is automatically retracted by a suitable spring or weight W to permit insertion of another article or case 8 to' be washed through the inlet :5, removes the arand'repeats the operation. 1 I

Inview ofthe fact thatthe' washing deticle then" at the outlet end of the tunnel,

order to prevent spattering of the spray 1 liquidsor fluids outside of the tunnel. When the articles to be washed are milkbottles, the

. openin s 5 and 6 will be made of a size to articles or objects. For example, the lateral wall section 13 immediately above the openpassni cely .theiisualholding bottle crates 8, but provision is made for enlargingthe inlet and outlet openings when; the device is to be used for the washing of cans or larger ing 5, maybe removably secured in any suitable manner, such as s own in dash lines at so I "sertionof the milk canswhich are taller than the top of Fig. 1, soas to permit of-the inthe crates, and similarly the section 14 of the lateral Wall of the enclosure which is imf mediately above the outlet opening 6 may also be made removable, or vertically ad as milk cans.

shown in dash lines in Fig. 1, removed from vices utilize sprays, it is desirable to keep the openings 5 and 6 as sm'all as possible in I justable. such as by sliding it vertically, out I of its operative position so that the-opening 6 may be enlarged vertically to permit the passage therethrough of taller articles, such The sections 13 and14 are the apparatus.

It will be obvious that various changes in the details, which have been hereindescribed and illustrated in order to explain thenat'ure' ot the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within'the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims. Claims f provided with guides for conveying an. ar-

hav-ingseparate openings in one side thereof near its ends formi an'inlet and'an outlet "b and spaced apart a distance enabling an operator .to stand between them and reach either without extensive movement. along the tunnel, I

2. In a washer for bottles, cans and other 1. In a washer forbottles, cans and other like articles, an enclosure hav ng a tunnel ticle to be washed along the same, said tunnel like articles, an enclosure having a tunnel provided with guides for conveying an ar--.

ticle to be washed along the same, said tunnel having separate openmgs n one side thereofnear itsends forming aninlet and,

an outlet and spaced apart a distance em bling an operator to stand between them and reach either without extensive .movement I along the tunnel, means operative at'the inlet end of the tunnel for propelling along the tunnel the articles inserted through said inlet, and a controlelementfor said means ac cess ble to said operator while standing between said openings.

3. 'In .a washer for bottles, cans'andother' like articles, an'enclosure having a tunnel through which anarticle to be washedisconveyed, said tunnelhaving separate lateral openings on the, same side thereof forming an inlet and an outlet spaced .apart' a dis tance enabling an operator to standbetween them and reach either openinglwithout exi tensive movement] in either direction, said tunnel having guides extending through said openings and along said tunnel, whereby said articles may be inserted through said inlet: f

like articles, a tank, an enclosure supported over one section of the' tank and having guides for conveying therethrough over said tank the articles tobe washed, saidenclosure having lateral openings at its ends andat the same side of the tank, and'also having 1 oP said tunnel and through said outlet guides extending laterally of the enclosure through said openings, and means cooperating with said enclosure and'tank for washing the articles while passing through said enclosure,

5; In a washer for bottles, cans and other i like articles, an enclosure having a tunnel Vserted through one of said openings pushing-the same and retractable to articles successively.

6. In a washer for bottles, cans and other like articles, an enclosure having a tunnel of and spaced apart a distance such with lateral openings on the same side therethat an operator standing between them can reach either one for the insertion and removal of articles to be washed, said tunnel having guides for conveying articles through said openings and long said tunnel, a mechanical device for engaging the articles inserted through one of saidopenings and pushing the same a step along said tunnel, and retractable to engage the successively, and a-control element for said device accessible for operation by an operator standing between said openings;

7. In a washer for bottles, cansand other can reach like articles,

t conveyed,

last inserted articlesv like articles, an enclosure having a tunnel the same short diswith inlet and outlet openings on side thereof and spaced apart a tame, said enclosure having guidesv extending through said, openings and along the tunnel for guiding articles through the tunnel betweensaid openings, a power operated device adjacent one opening for engaging the last inserted article and pushing it one step along said tunnel to provide a space for another article, and a controlling element for said power device disposed between said openings for operation by an operator standing bet veen sald ,openlngs. j

8. In a washer for bottles, cans and other through which an article to be washed is said tunnel having separate lateral openings on the same side thereof forming an inlet and an outlet spaced apart a distance an enclosure having a tunnel enabling an operator to stand between them and reach eitheropening without extensive movement in either direction, said tunnel having guides extending through said openings and along said tunnel, whereby said articles may v and ejected from the outlet by the pushing of one by another, means operable upon the last inserted article for pushing that article be inserted through saidinlet and the previously inserted ones along said tunnel and throughsaid outlet in succession,

and a controlling element for said pushing means disposed between said openings for operation by an operator standlng between said openlngs.

p KIRK K. ware-Hr. f 

